How many doses are in a Victoza pen?
Key Points
- The number of total doses in your Victoza (liraglutide) pen will depend on your dose. The Victoza pen contains a total of 18 mg of Victoza and delivers doses of 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, or 1.8 mg per injection. Your doctor will prescribe the dose you need.
- Adults will use either the 1.2 mg once daily dose or the 1.8 mg once daily dose as the regular maintenance dose. The 0.6 mg dose is a starting dose used to reduce stomach (gastrointestinal) side effects during the first week of treatment, and is not effective in controlling blood sugar in adults.
- For children, the 0.6 mg once daily dose can be used to control blood sugar. If additional blood sugar control is needed after one week, the dose may be increased to 1.2 mg. After one additional week, the dose may be increased to 1.8 mg, if needed.
How many doses in each Victoza pen?
If you start with a lower dose, for example, the 0.6 mg per day dose for one week, and then go up to a higher dose, your number of doses per pen will be variable. Ask your pharmacist to calculate the number of doses you’ll have based on your prescription.
Once you are at your maintenance dose, it’s easier to determine the number of doses per pen if your dose remains the same throughout the month.
- Using only the 1.8 mg per day dose: 10 doses per pen
- Using only the 1.2 mg per day dose: 15 doses per pen
- Using only the 0.6 mg per day dose (only used for maintenance in children): 30 doses per pen
Learn more about Victoza dosing here.
Related questions
- Which GLP-1 drug is best for weight loss?
- How and where do you inject liraglutide?
- Can liraglutide be used for weight loss?
I missed my Victoza dose. What should I do?
If a dose is missed, resume the once-daily regimen as prescribed with the next scheduled dose. Do not inject an extra dose or increase the dose to make up for the missed dose.
If it's been more than 3 days since your last Victoza dose, contact your doctor. Restart Victoza at the 0.6 mg dose to lessen any stomach side effects that may occur with starting treatment again. Your doctor will adjust your doses as needed.
If you have additional questions about your Victoza pen, call a certified diabetes educator at 1-877-905-1126, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm ET.
Bottom Line
- The number of total doses in your Victoza (liraglutide) pen will depend on your dose. You may start with a lower dose to help lessen stomach side effects.
- The Victoza pen contains a total of 18 mg of Victoza and delivers doses of 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, or 1.8 mg per injection.
- Ask your pharmacist to calculate the number of doses you’ll have per pen based on your prescription.
This is not all the information you need to know about Victoza for safe and effective use. Review the full Victoza information here, and discuss this information with your doctor or other health care provider.
References
- Victoza [package insert]. Novo Nordisk. Bagsvaerd, Denmark. June 2019. Accessed June 22, 2020 at https://www.novo-pi.com/victoza.pdf
- Victoza. Drugs.com. Accessed June 22, 2020 at https://www.drugs.com/pro/victoza.html
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